by our College Data Analytics Team
For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. This list ranks 22 programs for Men’s Basketball by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you decide, College Factual weighs a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and aid per athlete from the EADA survey), and overall school quality, drawing on NCAA, U.S. Department of Education EADA, and IPEDS data. Learn more about our ranking methodology.
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Explore the leading programs below:
Michigan State University tops our 2026 ranking of the best colleges for Men's Basketball. Michigan State University is a public school based in East Lansing, MI. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 994, alongside a GSR of 80%. About 57% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $1,363,637 per participant, with expenses of about $1,285,421 per participant. Athletic aid averages $22,500 per athlete.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot for Men's Basketball. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a public school based in Ann Arbor, MI. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor records an NCAA APR of 962, alongside a GSR of 100%. About 54% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. The program generates about $1,325,618 in revenue per athlete, against $897,407 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $28,650.
Western Michigan University landed the #3 spot for Men's Basketball. Based in Kalamazoo, MI, Western Michigan University is a public institution. The team's NCAA APR score is 984, alongside a GSR of 89%. About 80% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Team revenue averages $148,478 per participant, compared with $148,478 spent per athlete. The school awards about $19,248 in athletic aid per athlete.
Michigan Technological University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Men's Basketball. Michigan Technological University is a public school based in Houghton, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $54,335, with expenses of about $54,651 per participant. Athletic aid averages $13,159 per athlete.
Hope College is one of the top schools for Men's Basketball, at #5. This private not-for-profit school is set in Holland, MI. The program generates about $8,397 in revenue per athlete, against $8,261 in expenses. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Calvin University landed the #6 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Grand Rapids, MI. The program generates about $15,501 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $15,501 per participant. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Kalamazoo College did well this year, earning the #7 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Kalamazoo, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,329, with expenses of about $8,329 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $0.
Grand Valley State University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Allendale, MI. Team revenue averages $59,436 per participant, against $58,524 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $6,088.
Eastern Michigan University did well this year, earning the #9 position. Based in Ypsilanti, MI, Eastern Michigan University is a public institution. Eastern Michigan University records an NCAA APR of 978, and a 82% Graduation Success Rate. The federal graduation rate stands at 13%. Team revenue averages $160,908 per participant, against $160,908 in expenses. The school awards about $16,547 in athletic aid per athlete.
Oakland University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Located in Rochester Hills, MI, Oakland University is a public institution. Oakland University records an NCAA APR of 946, with a Graduation Success Rate of 86%. About 27% of athletes graduate under the federal rate. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $190,320, compared with $190,320 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $12,959 per athlete.
Central Michigan University landed the #11 spot this year. This public school is set in Mount Pleasant, MI. Central Michigan University records an NCAA APR of 949, alongside a GSR of 77%. Its federal graduation rate is 56%. Team revenue averages $149,978 per participant, compared with $149,978 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $12,123.
Northwood University landed the #12 spot this year. Northwood University is a private not-for-profit school based in Midland, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $37,117, against $37,117 in expenses. The school awards about $7,948 in athletic aid per athlete.
Lake Superior State University placed #13 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. Lake Superior State University is a public school based in Sault Ste Marie, MI. Team revenue averages $50,965 per participant, with expenses of about $50,965 per participant. The school awards about $8,276 in athletic aid per athlete.
Alma College placed #14 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. Located in Alma, MI, Alma College is a private not-for-profit institution. Team revenue averages $6,278 per participant, compared with $6,278 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $0 per athlete.
University of Detroit Mercy did well this year, earning the #15 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Detroit, MI. Athletes here earn an NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 916, and a 73% Graduation Success Rate. Its federal graduation rate is 25%. Team revenue averages $172,233 per participant, against $171,703 in expenses. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $11,135.
Northern Michigan University ranked #16 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. Located in Marquette, MI, Northern Michigan University is a public institution. The program generates about $78,078 in revenue per athlete, with expenses of about $72,065 per participant. The school awards about $9,323 in athletic aid per athlete.
Albion College landed the #17 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Albion, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $8,978, compared with $8,416 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Saginaw Valley State University placed #18 among the best colleges for Men's Basketball. This public school is set in University Center, MI. Team revenue averages $42,068 per participant, with expenses of about $42,068 per participant. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,118.
Ferris State University ranked #19 on our 2026 list for Men's Basketball. This public school is set in Big Rapids, MI. Team revenue averages $41,370 per participant, compared with $41,370 spent per athlete. Per-athlete athletic aid is roughly $5,572.
Adrian College came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Located in Adrian, MI, Adrian College is a private not-for-profit institution. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $5,561, compared with $5,561 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
Davenport University landed the #21 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Grand Rapids, MI. Per-participant team revenue is roughly $39,164, compared with $39,164 spent per athlete. Athletic aid averages $6,850 per athlete.
The University of Olivet came in at #22 in this year's ranking. The University of Olivet is a private not-for-profit school based in Olivet, MI. The program generates about $7,429 in revenue per athlete, compared with $7,429 spent per athlete. The school awards about $0 in athletic aid per athlete.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and athletic aid from the federal EADA survey), and overall school quality. The current methodology measures academic-athletic quality and does not include team win/loss performance.
References
See our data sources and methodologies.